My 15-year old daughter, she of the high school English Honors and International Baccalaureate Program, wants to teach me how to be a better copywriter.

She doesn’t think I’m quite up to snuff yet.

“You can’t write that. That’s not even a sentence!” she complains, looking over my shoulder as I craft a salesletter for a client. “And sales letter is two words,” she snorts, as she reads further. “And thru is spelled t-h-r-o-u-g-h! And you’re not supposed to start a sentence with and!”

Oh, really!

My wrath is soon delivered, fast and true, and my honor saved at the point of a verbal blade.

“Listen, little Miss Muffet,” I says. “My pitiful grammar is gonna pay for your college education – and medical school – provided I let you live! So just turn around and don’t let the door hit ya’ in the asterisk on your way out!”

It’s a Simple Question: Money or Good Grammar?

This is the real world, my friend – the marketing and sales world.

So you’re gonna have to ask yourself: do you want to sell your products or services and make buckets of money... or do you just want to look smart and make your English teacher proud?

Me, personally, I vote for the money – by making more money for my clients – and let Funk and Wagnalls turn in their graves.

Now, of course, if you’re looking to produce a brochure, a white paper, press release or any other editorial or journalistic type of copy, then yes. Spelling and grammar are important.

You don’t want to come across as an uneducated dolt – because not only will it reflect badly on you, it’ll also reflect poorly on your product and company, and hence your bottom line.

But... when you’re writing a salesletter (or even a sales letter)... there just ain’t no rules, mate!

Anything and everything goes – so long as it gets the job done: which is to get your prospect, cum letter-reader, to buy, subscribe or call, as the case may be.

Belly-Up to the Bar, My Friend, and I’ll Tell You a Story...

You see, the best sales letters, the most effective, the biggest money-pulling sales letters (even if they’re emails) are personal letters.

It doesn’t matter that you’re sending the letter to 500,000 rented names; you’re still “talking” to one person at a time.

And based on your in-depth market research you should know that this person enjoys a particular life-style, inhabits a specific socio-economic niche, and has particular deep-seated wants, needs and fears.

And you should also know that this person is human in the deepest sense of the word: filled with strong emotions and adamant beliefs, noble strengths and foolish foibles.

So wouldn’t you think that this individual might appreciate a little honest-to-God hand-holding, and some heart-felt, one-on-one communication and understanding, too?

Now then... you could, if you choose, talk over this person’s head with cold and stiff corporate-speak, blind-siding him with your education, diction and superiority – and yet leave him unimpressed, uninspired, and with his money still in his or her pocket.

Page 1 of 3 :: First | Last :: Prev | 1 2 3 | Next